Ten Days Quarantine
by HiddenInTheTardis
Summary: The Doctor and Rose catch an alien virus and are confined to the TARDIS for ten days. Will they go mad with boredom, or will they find something interesting to do to pass the time? Ten/Rose. My first fan fiction, so please be nice. Rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1

_Hi lovely readers! This is the first fan fiction I've let anyone read, so please let me know what you think!_

Ten Days Quarantine

Chapter 1

"Damn smog!"

Rose coughed and choked and spluttered as she stumbled into the TARDIS. The Doctor followed her, not a hair out of place, annoyingly unaffected by the thick purple air outside. He closed the door behind him, and shoved his hands deep in his pockets, glancing rather sheepishly at Rose.

"Well, I must say I'm surprised. All the times I've taken friends to the Swamps of Golopo, no one's ever reacted to the atmosphere quite… like this."

Rose was hunched over, gripping at the railing, still coughing. The Doctor though she looked a little green.

_Still beautiful,_ he thought. _Always beautiful. Wait, no! Stop thinking like that!_

Rose managed to catch her breath and interrupt his train of thought.

"Any of them human?"

The Doctor frowned, bewildered at the question. "What?"

"Those 'friends' you've taken to the swamps in the past. Or future, or whenever." She balked, trying to get rid of the taste of the foul air. "Any of 'em human?"

The Doctor thought carefully. "I don't think so…" he gave her a guilty puppy look, but Rose just glared at him.

"Besides," he continued, oblivious to Rose's expression, "I've never been to this particular swamp before. It does seem a bit… hostile."

"Ya _think_?!" Rose croaked sarcastically.

The Doctor frowned. "S'not my fault human physiology is so sensitive." She gave him another look, and he caved. "Better get you to the Medlab."

He stepped over to her, and, taking her hand, he led her into the corridor.

The TARDIS had decided to be helpful (which was unusual in itself – normally she was looking for opportunities to confuse the Doctor or at least get in his way) and the Medlab was right next to the control room. They stepped inside, and Rose – who had managed to regain some of her composure – sat on the edge of the medical bed. The Doctor fetched her a glass of water, which she downed gratefully, cooling the burning in her throat. The Doctor turned to the large monitor at the head of the bed, and pressed a few small buttons, The station whirred into life, automatically reading Rose's heart rate, temperature, and breathing. The Doctor slipped his black-rimmed glasses onto his nose, scanned the readings quickly and nodded to himself.

"Mmhmm, everything seems in order here." He frowned at the screen like it had just insulted him. "Temperature's slightly high, though…" He fumbled around in a nearby cupboard til he found what looked like a shiny purple ruler. He showed it to Rose with a flourish.

"What's that?"

"Just want to check everything's okay."

"You've already checked."

"Well," he replied, a little deflated, "I'm going to double check."

He ran the device over Rose's body (which was difficult as she refused to lay down – humans can be so stubborn!) and watched the monitor overhead. The purple ruler beeped.

"Ah."

Rose looked at him, suspicious and slightly worried. "Ah? What d'you mean 'Ah'?"

"'Ah' as in, 'Ah, there may be something wrong.'"

"What?!"

He heard her voice raise in panic, and turned to her immediately, gripping her hand in his.

"No, no, nothing serious. It's a bit like a virus. From the smog. I said I'd never been to this one before, but I thought it would be like the others: harmless air. Sorry."

"Sorry? Is that it?"

He grinned nervously, expecting an infamous Tyler slap. "I… won't do it again?"

"Too right."

The Doctor, eager to rectify the situation, turned back to the screen to get more information. What he saw wasn't going to rectify much.

"It lasts ten days, it says here."

"Ten days?!"

"Yeah, sorry, no running for your life for a couple of weeks." He read on, and hissed a breath in distaste at what he read next. "Symptoms include erratic temperatures, hallucinations, temporary lapse of judgement, itching –"

"- Please tell me there's a treatment."

"Er… no, you have to wait it out. Sorry, again." His demeanour changed suddenly, and he turned to her with his arms open wide and a smug smile plastered on his face.

"Luckily you have me, one healthy Time lord as fit as a fiddle ready to care for your every need."

Rose wasn't impressed. She snatched the purple-ruler-thing from his hand and looked angrily at it, then at the Doctor.

"I can't believe you get off without even a cough or anything. _Again_!" She held it up to his arm, and it immediately started beeping.

The confusion on his face made Rose smile as he checked the monitor.

"I don't believe it."

"What's that?" Rose asked, still distracted by his cute school-boy expression. Boy, he looked adorable when he didn't understand something. Not that that happened very often.

"I've… I've got it, too!" he stammered in disbelief. Rose laughed out loud. So much for his superior physiology!

"How come you weren't coughing, then?"

He sniffed self-consciously. "Different, aren't I?"

Rose laughed again. "Obviously not _that_ different. How often do you get ill?"

"Never! Well… almost never."

Rose watched his shocked expression, trying to stifle her giggles as he recomposed himself. His eyes suddenly snapped wide, and he exploded with energy.

"No point moping around here. Maybe not up to running for our lives but we can at least go somewhere for a bit of R n R!"

He bounded into the control room, and Rose followed him reluctantly. She was getting a headache, and just felt like going to bed.

"Doctor… I don't think we –"

"Aw, nonsense," he replied, not letting her finish. Damn the Swamps! He was a 900 year old Time Lord, the Oncoming Storm, he wasn't about to let a little virus get the better of him. He whizzed around the control panel as the TARDIS set off, trying to ignore the heat rising up his neck. The TARDIS shuddered to a halt, nearly knocking them both off their feet. The Doctor grabbed his coat and bounded towards the doors.

"Rubel 5, best spas this side of Cassiopeia."

He tried to open the door, but to no avail. He rattled it in frustration, and turned to glare at the TARDIS central column.

Rose watched him, anxious. "What's going on?"

The Doctor didn't hear her: he was busy having a muttered discussion with his ship.

"Oh whatever!" He spun away from the column, leaning on the controls, arms crossed, sulking.

Rose couldn't help grinning. "What's up?"

He sighed, and glanced up at her. "The TARDIS has taken it upon herself to play matron, and said we can't risk infecting anyone else."

Rose mirrored the Doctor's stance.

"So we have to stay here?!"

"Ten days quarantine," the Doctor groaned.

--

_Thanks for reading, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please review, let me know what you thought!_


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! Hope you're enjoying this, it's certainly a laugh to write. Here's part two, hope you enjoy.

Forgot disclaimer in chapter 1: I don't own Doctor Who. But I can dream, can't I…?

Ten Days Quarantine

Chapter Two

Rose woke up from a few hours restless sleep. She shuddered. She sneezed. Why was it so damn cold? She snuggled deeper into the covers, cursing the Doctor under her breath.

_If this is because he's been tinkering with circuits again, I'll murder the man!_

After what felt like an eternity trying to keep warm under the covers, she eventually admitted defeat. She reluctantly scurried over to her chest of drawers and found three pairs of socks, two sweaters to go over her pjs, and a scarf. She struggled to fasten her fluffy dressing gown over the top, but eventually managed it and headed down the corridor to the kitchen. She stopped dead in the doorway, and, regardless of how cold she was, she just had to laugh at the sight in front of her.

The Doctor was already in the kitchen, wrapped in more layers than she was, with a multi-coloured Jamaican hat pulled ridiculously low over his ears. He was sat at the table, trying to juggle a hot water bottle, a cup of tea and some steaming concoction Rose couldn't identify. His nose would have put Rudolph to shame, and, as he looked up at her with watery eyes, he sneezed and managed to spill half of his tea all over the table.

"Argh! Stupid table, in the way…" he muttered.

Rose made her way over to the kettle, and jumped up and down on the spot, waiting impatiently for it to boil.

"What's up with the heating? Can't you _do_ something?!" she complained.

The Doctor managed to stop his teeth chattering long enough to reply.

"S'not the heating. It's us, this bloody virus. The heating's on max."

Rose sat down opposite the Doctor with her cup of tea, eyeing his unsightly appearance, wondering if she looked as ludicrous as he did.

"What's with the hat? Planning a Caribbean break?"

"Nah, not warm enough for me at the minute."

"So, what's with the hat?"

"S'the only one I could find," he mumbled.

Rose grinned at him. Even though he'd got them into this mess, she was _so _glad he was a victim too this time. She frowned. He was shuddering uncontrollably.

"I thought Time Lords were always colder than humans anyway?"

The Doctor tried to nod, but it just turned into another shudder. In a sudden burst of energy he leapt from the table and sped out of the room.

"Where you going?!" Rose yelled after him.

"BLANKETS!!"

--

They really were a sorry sight: one shivering human and one sneezing Time Lord huddled up in a pile of blankets and sweaters on a squashy green sofa in the TARDIS library. They'd chosen the library for two reasons: one – the dark, stuffy room had the largest fireplace on the ship, which was now burning with a huge pile of logs; two – Rose was sure she'd never be able to survive three days of freezing her toes off, and had insisted the Doctor find an antidote for the virus in one of the thousands of books in that overcrowded room.

The Doctor eventually slammed shut the dusty volume he was reading and gave a deep sigh, which turned into a spluttering cough, followed by a shudder. Rose poked him with her foot, which was slightly warmer now thanks to the roaring fire.

"Found something?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "Nope. Told you the TARDIS is never wrong. Well, hardly ever. Well, not most of the time. Not in this case, anyway. We have to wait it out."

"Ten days?"

"Ten days."

Rose groaned, and snuggled back into the sofa. The Doctor put the book carefully on a cluttered table, took off his glasses, and snuggled down next to Rose, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Rose's unconsciously held her breath, then let it go when she realised he was probably just wanting to get warmer. She rested her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. She was just getting comfortable when the Doctor exploded.

"_Ten days!_ What am I supposed to do in here for ten _days_? I'll go insane!"

The TARDIS obviously took this as an insult, and immediately shut off the fire.

"No, no, no, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!" He half-leapt, half-fell onto the floor and clambered over to the fireplace. But the TARDIS wasn't willing to listen to his backtracking. Reluctantly, he reclaimed his place next to Rose on the sofa.

Rose looked at his defeated expression, and smiled to herself. He really was just a big kid.

"Well, how will the TARDIS know when ten days is up?" she asked. "It's a time machine, you know, not really bound by days and nights is she?"

"Oh, trust me, she knows," the Doctor muttered. "She's worse than a mother hen. She won't let us out a minute before we're clear of the virus."

Rose frowned as she thought. "What _are _we gonna do for ten days?"

The Doctor sighed. "We could play snap," he said brightly. "Snap's a good way to pass the time." He pulled a pack of cards off the table and shook it enthusiastically in her face.

Her expression remained firm and cold.

"Maybe not." He lowered the cards.

Rose shuddered. Now the fire was gone, she was very aware that this was just a dark, dusty room. To her, anyway. The Doctor had got up from the sofa, and was now casually browsing a nearby shelf, trying to hold onto a blanket with one hand and failing miserably. He looked perfectly at home, if not slightly chilly…

_Chilly_. Rose knew she'd never complain about a British winter again: this was far worse.

The Doctor saw her shivering. He felt so guilty: this was his fault. He hated to see Rose suffering, even though he knew it was only temporary. He stepped over to her and dragged her up onto her feet, ignoring her complaints.

"Well, can't just sit around for ten days, gotta do something."

Rose just stared at him. He suddenly realised how close she was. How had that happened? Here she was, inches from him, and through the goosebumps, the red nose and the messy hair, she was still beautiful…

"Shower," Rose stated bluntly.

The Doctor shook himself out of his daze. "What?"

"I'm gonna get a hot shower," she repeated, pulling away from the Doctor's grasp and heading towards the door.

The Doctor took a deep breath, and instantly regretted it as his body succumbed to shaking again.

"Yeah, me too. My-my own shower, I mean, I'm-I'm not…"

Rose turned and stared at him as he fell over his words.

He saw her staring and shut his mouth abruptly, pressing his lips together tightly til he could trust them to make sense.

"Yes. Shower."

They both headed out of the library, and down the corridor to their own bathrooms.

_What do you think? Somebody starts a fire in chapter three, and the TARDIS does _not_ approve. Please tell me what you think of this story and any suggestions you have. Hit the shiny review button and make me happy!_


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! Thanks for the lovely reviews, they make me smile! Here's chapter three, hope you enjoy xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Chapter 3

Oh no.

This shouldn't have happened.

He didn't mean for it to happen, it just sort of… happened.

And now the TARDIS was on fire.

--

Rose ran through the corridors of the TARDIS, clutching her bath towel around her and cursing herself for not putting stopping to put some warm clothes on as she felt the chill spread through her body again. What the hell has that smell? The Doctor was nowhere in sight and she could smell burning, and it was very unlikely that was going to be a good thing…

She eventually found him, in a room full of indoor plants that he tended to call the greenhouse (although it was like no greenhouse she'd ever seen, on earth or anywhere else). He was still wrapped in all his layers, hat and all, and sure enough, a fire was blazing at the foot of a small potted oak tree.

"What the hell have you _done_?" Rose yelled at him, as he danced around the flames trying to put out the inferno with a watering can. Rose glared at him. Superior being or not, sometimes he could be remarkably thick!

She ran over to the other side of the room, where a large barrel full of rainwater stood (she later wondered how on earth it managed to collect rainwater _inside_) and with a remarkable show of strength and flexibility she managed to tip over the heaving barrel and keep the towel around her at the same time. The water spread like a flood across the metal floor, putting out the flames and drenching their feet. The Doctor just stared at her, eyes wide, watering can in hand.

"That was _brilliant_!" he exclaimed.

"You are an _idiot_!" she yelled. She stood, still shivering, trying to catch her breath.

The Doctor eyed her sheepishly, doing everything he could (and failing) to stop the red flush rising on his cheeks despite the cold.

"Um… you're in a… towel –"

"Yes I'm in a towel! I was trying to warm up! Shower, remember?! Gonna have to go back and have another one now! What do you think you were doing, trying to burn the TARDIS down?!"

The Doctor stood silent and motionless as she ranted, waiting til she'd finished. He was sure she'd be happy when he told her what he'd been trying to do when he'd _accidentally_ set his ship alight.

"I was trying to get some more wood, for a fire."

"Well you managed it!"

"No, I mean I was trying to chop some wood to make another fire _in the fireplace_," he retorted, frustratingly patronising. "But I couldn't find anything to chop with, so I thought I'd use the sonic screwdriver, and… well, it went a bit wrong."

"'A bit wrong'? Is that what you call it? This is your fault in the first place, getting us ill. And now you try to burn down our home so we're ill, miserable and homeless and _what_ are you grinning about?"

He couldn't help it: he was grinning from ear to ear at what she'd just said. "You said 'our home.'"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you think of the TARDIS as home. You've been here long enough."

Rose closed her eyes and counted to ten before she responded.

"That's not exactly the point at the moment, is it?" she said quietly and with a hint of danger in her voice.

The Doctor closed his mouth abruptly and looked at her sheepishly. "No. Sorry."

Rose shook slightly as she felt the spilled rainwater seep between her toes. "I'm going to get a shower. _Again_."

She headed out of the door, and the Doctor tried to follow. But the TARDIS had other ideas, and closed the door with a slam before he could escape to the corridor.

"Hey!"

Rose grinned and silently thanked the TARDIS for having a sense of humour. She yelled through the door. "I don't blame her for locking you in. You've made an awful mess in there."

"The water's _your_ mess!"

"_My_ solution to _your_ fire! You better get it cleaned up, then she'll probably let you out."

She set of down the corridor towards her room, ignoring his complaints as he hollered past the door.

"But I'm still cold…!"

--

Rose was feeling colder with each progressive step down the corridor. Her body quaked as it tried to keep warm, and her teeth chattered so much she almost bit her tongue. She was certain she'd never make it back to her room.

All of a sudden, as if the TARDIS had been reading her thoughts (which she probably had) a door swung open to her left. Even when she felt like a living ice sculpture she couldn't kerb her curiosity, and had to take a peek. And she was so glad she did…

--

The Doctor finally finished mopping up the last of the spilled water. He surveyed his work: the greenhouse was going to need a new floor at some point. But not now. Now he just needed to get warm. He banged on the door and spoke to the TARDIS.

"Look, I'm sorry I made such a mess. And you know I wouldn't deliberately set you alight…"

He felt the familiar tickle at the back of his mind and his face set in a frown.

"I know it's for our own good, I didn't mean to say I'd be bored, but you know what I'm like." He sighed. "I'll just have to find something to do." His mind drifted to Rose for a moment. _Ten days trapped with Rose won't be so bad…_

The TARDIS, seeing he was finally beginning to make sense, unlocked the door and let him out.

"Thanks, ol' girl," he murmured, patting the wall before setting off to the wardrobe room to find a winter coat.

The TARDIS hadn't quite finished with him, though. As he strolled away from the wardrobe, wearing the chunkiest and incidentally the most hideous coat he owned, he smiled to himself.

Okay, ten days, what can I do for ten days…

He stopped dead in his tracks. The TADIS had been moving the rooms around again, and what he thought was his bedroom door actually led to…

"Oh, hello Rose, um… greenhouse is clean."

"Good."

"Um… since when did we have a Jacuzzi?"

--

Tee hee what ya think? Hope it's as fun to read as it is to write. Please let me know what you think: Hit Review!


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi, me again! I sure am writing fast today, but might not be able to get any more chapters done for a couple of days. So enjoy this one and let me know what you think xx_Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Chapter Four

Previously…

He stopped dead in his tracks. The TADIS had been moving the rooms around again, and what he thought was his bedroom door actually led to…

"Oh, hello Rose, um… greenhouse is clean."

"Good."

"Um… since when did we have a Jacuzzi?"

--

The Doctor tried not to stare. He looked down at his feet. He looked up at the ceiling. He took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and looked at that. Anything to stop him looking at Rose. In her bikini. In the Jacuzzi. In _his _Jacuzzi.

Rose smiled to herself. He looked so uncomfortable, it was hilarious! She just _had _to tease him.

"What, you mean you've never used this before?" she ducked down under the bubbling water momentarily to demonstrate.

"N-no," he lied, his voice slightly higher than usual. Of course he knew it was there, he'd just hoped Rose wouldn't ever notice it: he was sure she would never let him live it down if she knew he used it now and again.

"But it's right next to the pool," she pointed out. The Doctor looked across the room and sure enough, there was the Olympic-sized swimming pool he retreated to when he needed to stretch his muscles after running for his life.

"Oh, right, yeah. Never really bothered with it."

But it was looking very tempting now. The rainwater from the greenhouse had seeped through his many layers of mismatched socks, and the clean, bubbling water in the Jacuzzi looked warm and inviting. And there was Rose, slap-bang in the middle of it, her hair starting to frizz from the heat. What was a Time Lord to do in this situation except make the most of it?

He cleared his throat nervously, the tickle there still threatening to turn into a nasty cough any minute. "Room for one more?"

"I thought you didn't really bother with this?"

"Depends what you mean by _this_," he murmured under his breath.

Rose caught the words, and grinned. _Poor thing, he really isn't handling this well._

"What do you usually do when you're ill?"

The Doctor sniffed, his Gallifreyan pride threatening to raise its head. "Never usually ill, I told you. Just try to sleep it off normally."

Rose couldn't stop the giggles. "But you hardly ever sleep."

"I'm hardly ever ill, either!"

Rose exploded with laughter, and regretted it when she started choking on the water.

The Doctor frowned, and pulled his slightly damp blanket closer around him. "Now what?"

Rose calmed down. This situation was so ridiculous! She almost said she never thought being ill could be this much of a laugh, but regretted that thought when she shivered, reminding her that she was trying to fight off the cold at the moment.

"You gonna come in here like that?" she asked, gesturing to his insane ensemble.

The Doctor looked down at his appearance, and considered. "Maybe not. Back in a flash!"

He ran out of the room. Rose keeled over in the warm water and laughed til her sides ached and she began shivering again. Not hot enough. As much as she'd love to wait here for the Doctor, her body was growing accustomed to the water and she needed to get warmer.

--

Not long after the Doctor reappeared, threw off his robe and jumped straight into the Jacuzzi, wearing swimming trunks and his Jamaican hat still pulled down around his ears. When the water settled after his over-ambitious splash, he noticed something was missing. Rose. He waited a few moments but she didn't turn up. _Damn that woman, running off and leaving me!_ He was sure he'd never abandon _her _in a bubbling bath. At that moment he heard a familiar noise: running water. He contemplated ignoring it and staying in the warm bubbles, but it just wasn't any fun on his own. So he reluctantly dragged himself out, and headed over to the sound of cascading water. He turned a corner to find Rose under the vast shower in the pool's changing room, wearing a shirt over her bikini to keep a bit warmer.

_Not that it's doing much good_, she complained to herself, grimacing at the chilly wet fabric sticking to her.

The Doctor just stared for a moment.

_Is she doing this on purpose, or was she just born to torture me?_

Rose saw him and grinned. "I never got my shower, so I thought I'd use this one."

She disappeared momentarily as a cloud of steam rose from the floor. When she reappeared, her face was half-covered in hair, but he could just make out her tongue poking out of an evil little grin.

"Definitely room for one more in here," she teased.

The Doctor groaned. Stood there in his swimming shorts, huddling his arms around his chest, it seemed like the most inviting opportunity he'd ever been presented with. However, he shook his head.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

He pointed to his head. "My hat'll get wet."

--

A little while later the Doctor and Rose had found their way back to the kitchen, where they surrounded themselves with mugs of hot tea and cocoa. They sat in silence, staring at their drinks, feeling particularly sorry for themselves.

"I'm sorry I got us ill."

Rose stared at him. Okay, she'd heard him say sorry many times before - usually to strangers he was trying to save – but she'd never heard him apologise for something that had happened that was quite as… domestic as this.

"S'okay," she replied, running her hand round the back of her neck under her scarf, which had reclaimed its place around her throat. "Stuck here for ten days, but least I'm not short of good company."

The Doctor smiled at her. _She's so great…_

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

He took her hand in his, and ran his fingers (still wrinkled slightly from the water) over her palm. It was sweaty.

Rose took a deep breath, and began unravelling her scarf from her neck.

"Okay, we have _got _to turn this heating down."

_--_

_Hope you're enjoying it. Please review and make my day! xx_


	5. Chapter 5

Ten Days Quarantine _Hi dear readers! Wow I finished this chapter earlier than I thought I would. I just want to say thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story; as I said before, it's the first one I've let people read and the reviews tell me I'm doing something right. Thanks! Here's part five, enjoy xx_ Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Never was that lucky…

Chapter Five

Rose tossed and turned on her bed. She had no idea how long she'd been trying to sleep. That was the trouble with the TARDIS, getting a regular human routine was impossible. She sighed in frustration and sat up, throwing the last of her covers onto the floor. It was hot. Impossibly hot.

_Probably just me again. Stupid Smog Bug!_ That's what she had decided to call the virus. The Doctor had told her it's real name, but she had chosen to ignore him. Why did he have to get technical, when all he had to say was, 'gee, this bug'll mess us up'?

She scrambled to the edge of the bed and rested her feet on the cold metal floor. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Leaving her room, she tiptoed towards the control room, although why she was tiptoeing she had no idea. She discreetly closed the door behind her, and sat down on the cool leather of the captain's chair.

_Captain's chair_, she mused. _Does he see himself as Captain? Captain of a ship who puts him on the naughty step if he does something wrong?_

She grinned at the thought, and the TARDIS tickled her mind appreciatively.

Rose looked up at the central column, and sighed to herself.

"Um… TARDIS?"

The lights in the walls and the ceiling glowed slightly brighter, to let Rose know she was listening.

Rose thought for a moment about her mother, and how Jackie would react if she found out her daughter made a habit of talking to machines. She smiled fondly at the thought of her mum. She really should call home more often…

"Listen," she murmured conspiratorially to the TARDIS. "I know we can't infect anyone, but is there any chance you could take us to a nice, _cool_, uninhabited planet so I can get some fresh air?"

The TARDIS scorned her in the back of her mind.

"Okay, only asking." She had another thought, and raised her eyebrows hopefully. "Can you at least turn the heat down?"

No response.

Rose turned, and headed back down the corridor, mumbling to herself.

Does the TARDIS see me as another naughty kid? S'not like it was me who set the plants on fire, or got us in this mess in the first place…

She eventually arrived at her destination: the Doctor's bedroom. Nervously, feeling almost guilty for intruding, she quietly opened the door. The room was dark, but she could hear slow, rhythmic breathing coming from the bed.

He must be feeling rough, if he's actually sleeping…

Rose had been in the room before, several times in fact. But usually only when he'd asked her to fetch something, or the ironing pile got so vast she felt she had to dump his clothes back in his room to save the poor TARDIS some work. She'd never actually seen him sleep here, and the thought fascinated her.

She tiptoed towards the bed, and the TARDIS rose the lights just enough for her to make out the outline of his face, and his defined features. Which was all she would have been able to see in bright light, anyway, as he had a pile of covers a foot thick wrapped around him, although thankfully he seemed to have misplaced the Jamaican hat. She leaned closer and softly brushed his hair out of his face, and smiled when she saw his eyes flickering in his sleep.

Even when he's asleep his mind doesn't stop.

She was just thinking about whether to introduce the Doctor to daytime TV to slow his mind down a little when he turned over and mumbled something. Rose couldn't quite catch it.

"Doctor," she whispered. She really didn't want to wake him, but she knew she would pass out from the heat soon. Her hair was already sticking to her face and her thin pyjamas felt like Arctic gear against her skin.

"Doctor, can we turn the heat down?"

The Doctor half-woke from his slumber, and without opening his eyes, he muttered:

"S'too cold."

"But I really can't take this heat anymore."

He groaned. "Not traipsing… boiler room… too cold…" he trailed of into incoherent syllables before returning to his dreamful sleep.

Rose grinned to herself. "You don't have to. I'm sure I can find the boiler room."

She turned and headed to the door, when the Doctor called out in his sleep:

"How many times do I have to tell you not to eat gold?!"

Rose closed the door behind her and burst into giggles. She'd have to ask him about that later.

--

After wandering through seemingly endless corridors, Rose eventually found the boiler room. It was pretty much what she expected, except the boiler's logo had a purple alien on it, and a slogan that said 'Brextil II: the best since 4715.'

Rose found the dial for the heating, and sure enough, it was on maximum. She turned it down to just under half way and immediately felt the heat around her start to lift, and cool air washed around her ankles.

"Much better," she sighed, and headed back to her bed.

--

No sooner had she found her way back to her room, she started sweating again. Surely the heating didn't turn itself back up? She tried to sleep. She tried walking around. She tried fixing the hole she'd ripped in her favourite jeans on their last adventure (pricking her fingers several times and cursing unashamedly). She was itchy and clammy all over, and growing grumpier by the second.

_This is stupid_, she thought to herself, and stormed out of her room back to the boiler room. Where she found the Doctor, still wrapped in blankets, fiddling with the dial.

"What are you doing?" she demanded accusingly, hands on hips.

He seemed surprised to see her there, as if he'd been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

"What am _I_ doing? _You_ turned the heating down!"

Rose strode over to stand next to him. "Yes, because it's too _hot_!" She turned the dial defiantly.

"Well I'm still _cold_!" He turned the dial back again.

"Stop it!" She turned the dial.

"You stop it!" _He _turned the dial.

They glared at each other in an unspoken challenge, and at the same moment they both grabbed for the flimsy metal cylinder on the wall.

And it fell off in their hands.

Rose stared at the Doctor in horror as they heard the TARDIS sigh, and the heady heat resurfaced in the room.

The Doctor grinned sheepishly and held up the offending chunk of metal. "I'll… fix it?"

Rose's icy stare was worse than the virus. "Not if I kill you first."

--

Hope you like. The next chapter's going to be a little more action-packed, and Rose finds a mysterious door that she can't open. And the Doctor won't explain.

_I'll upload that as soon as I can. For now please make my day and Review! xx_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi Who fans! The next instalment of our favourite duo is here and waiting! Hope you enjoy xx_ Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the smoggy Swamps of Golopo.

Chapter Six

A grey cloud hung in the air over the Doctor and Rose as they sat in the kitchen. Rose had a bag of frozen… well, they looked like orange peas against the back of her neck trying to cool down; while the Doctor was just starting to warm up, and was back to his usual suit. He sat nursing a cup of luke-warm tea, glancing up at Rose occasionally to see if her mood had changed. It had not.

The Doctor frowned. How had he gotten himself into this mess? He knew Rose was miserable, and had to do something to cheer her up and get himself out of the dog's house.

"Look," he said finally, "We can either make the most of this situation or we can sit here angry at each other for the next nine days."

Rose's frown wavered slightly.

Silence.

"If it's any consolation," the Doctor continued, "I'm starting to feel the heat, too." He pulled at his collar and loosened his tie to demonstrate.

Silence.

"I promise I'll never take you to the smoggy Swamps of Golopo ever again."

Silence.

"Why don't you explore the TARDIS?" he suggested hopefully. "You're always saying you've only seen about half of it, now's the perfect opportunity."

Rose turned to look at him and raised her eyebrow, somehow still managing to be threatening.

"And if there's anything I can do –"

"- Fix it."

"What?"

"Fix it. You wanna do something for me, you can fix that bloody heating dial!"

"Um… okay." He fumbled in his pocket and found his sonic screwdriver, holding it up triumphantly. "Your wish is my command!"

He stood up, and set off for the boiler room, whistling 'Jim'll fix it' softly to himself.

When he'd gone, Rose smiled to herself. Sure, this was hell at the moment, but he was doing everything he could to make it up to her. And she had to admit, she really was curious about the corners of the TARDIS she was yet to discover. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she went off to explore, fanning herself with the January 67,009 edition of 'Time Travel Monthly.'

--

A cricket pitch. The Doctor actually had a _cricket pitch_ in the TARDIS. She wouldn't have been so surprised, except he'd never really expressed an interest in the game. At least, not to her. It was just one of those things that made her realise how little she really knew about this man. From the look of it, the pitch had been well used, with several slightly chipped bats hanging up on a nearby wall. But it seemed long-since abandoned, and everything was coated in a thin layer of dust. She sighed sadly, and left the room to rest.

She would not have noticed the corridor had she not been trying very ungracefully to pull her slick hair away from her neck. A corridor that was darker than the others, narrower. Almost as if it were an afterthought, or…

_A secret!_ She squealed excitedly and hurried down the passageway, bumping into the wall in the dark as it made a sharp right turn. Then all of a sudden, it ended. Rose felt around for a handle, and found one, a hexagonal shape that glistened in. She tried the door, but to no avail. She rattled it again, but it was no use – the door was definitely locked.

Scowling at the defeat, she retraced her steps back to the main corridor and walked aimlessly, deep in thought.

A secret door? What could possibly…? Should I even be looking? Maybe it's personal. But he did say I could explore the ship…

She blinked out of her thoughts for a moment and found herself outside the boiler room again. Inside she could hear the sonic screwdriver whirring, a lot of crashing and a flurry of unrecognisable words that she was sure were Gallifreyan curses.

She smiled to herself. _All he has to do is mend one little dial!_

She pushed the door open, and had to use all her strength to stop her jaw dropping to the floor.

The Doctor was on his knees, glasses on nose, screwdriver in hand, his other arm lost inside the circuitry behind the wall panel. And he'd thrown his shirt over the boiler piping.

He noticed Rose out of the corner of his eye. "Ridiculous technology! Bought the heating system from a Ferrusian at an asteroid bazaar. _He _said it was top quality, but personally I think he was talking out of his… are you alright?"

He'd noticed Rose's dumbstruck expression, and was now frowning at her with concern from behind those kooky glasses.

Rose finally managed to get her brain in gear. "Yeah… just, still warm, y'know."

"Ye_p_," he snapped the panel back into place, stood up, picked up his shirt and wiped his hands on it. "Me, too. But at least we're not shivering anymore."

"So that's the last of the hat, then?"

"What's wrong with my hat?" he asked with a hurt expression.

Rose just grinned, and let her eyes quickly wander down his chest. That suit _really_ didn't do him justice…

The Doctor didn't notice her eyeballing him, and slipped his sonic screwdriver back in his trouser pocket. "Should be alright, now. Heat-wise, anyway." He paused. Rose was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and he couldn't for the life of him work out why.

"What now?"

"Nothing." Rose snapped out of her grin.

The Doctor nodded, took off his glasses, and headed out of the room. Rose followed him. She had to mention the door. She had to know…

"So what's with the secret door?" she blurted out, making him turn and look at her with shock.

"What secret door? I don't have a secret door."

"The secret door behind the cricket room."

"Ah… _that_ door. That-that's not a s-secret door," he stammered.

"So what's behind it?"

"Oh, I can't tell you," he said quickly and seriously.

"So it's a secret?"

The Doctor frowned at his defeat, and Rose looked up at him expectantly.

"Just let it go, Rose. It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

"There is nothing in there that will help you cool off. Speaking of which, fancy a swim?"

He turned down another corridor, changing direction as abruptly as he'd changed the topic. Suddenly the lights flickered, then went out completely.

Rose called to him through the darkness. "Are you sure it was the heating system you 'fixed'?"

--

Whatya think? I couldn't resist writing a topless Doctor; I'm sure no one minds! Lol. Please let me know what you think, hit Review! xx


	7. Chapter 7

Hi everybody! Chapter 7 here. I'd better warn you, it's a teeny tiny bit weepy at the beginning, but gets back to laughs later on. Also, just want to say thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to review this story: they make me happy! Please keep 'em coming: happy people type faster! xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, I own nothing, blah, blah…

Chapter Seven

Some time after he had disappeared into the depths of the floor of the control room, the Doctor's head emerged from the gap in the metal grating. His hair had found new, impossible angles to look dramatic, and his eyes were heavy and tired behind his glasses. But he'd managed to fix the lighting _and_ the heating at the source. The lights flickered into life, illuminating the room that was so familiar. He grinned broadly, his teeth closely rivalling the new, shiny lights. He whipped off his glasses and set them carefully on the floor at his shoulder-level.

"Ha! Told you, I can fix anything! All it takes is a little jiggery-pokery in the right place, and the right set of brain cells, and… Rose?"

He leaned against the grating to peer past the column to the captain's chair. But Rose wasn't there. He frowned. He hadn't heard her leave.

_I thought she didn't like the dark._ He shrugged to himself._ Must have got tired of waiting._

He pulled himself out of the cavern in the floor, and looked down at his dusty attire: dark, knee-length shorts and a very loud Hawaiian shirt (he'd decided to continue the Caribbean theme a little longer). Not quite what he was used to wearing, but definitely more appropriate when it felt like the TARDIS was slowly trying to roast him alive.

He replaced the flooring panel and looked around. It was quiet. Too quiet. It was hard to believe that before Rose stumbled into his life, he'd spent months in this big empty ship with only his ears to keep him company. He shuddered at the thought of life without Rose, and the TARDIS pressed against his mind comfortingly. He smiled gratefully. The TARDIS been the one constant factor in his life through the centuries, and he'd always thought he could survive anything as long as he had his ship. Now… he was scaring himself thinking about how much Rose meant to him. When he first met her, he momentarily mistook her for a 'stupid ape,' but now… surely she knew she meant more to him than good company? He was sure he could never live if he had to revert to life without her…

He shook himself out of his self-destructive thoughts. _Good thing she's not going anywhere…_

He decided it had been quiet for long enough, and he set off to find Rose to boast about his incredible heat-and-light-fixing talents. And then he heard the scream.

--

Rose wandered through the dark haunting corridors. She had found something vaguely resembling a candle in an ancient cupboard in her room: it gave off a green flame when it was lit, but it was the only thing she could find that would stop her breaking her neck in the dark. So she took it with her on her quest for something to cool her down.

Now, however, in the darkness, she felt like she was a pre-teen in a children's adventure mystery. It was creepy: she'd always thought of the warm, inviting light as the TARDIS's consciousness, and now, without the comforting glow she'd got so accustomed to, she felt like she was walking through a graveyard. She felt an itch on her wrist, but dismissed the thought. _Grow up_, she told herself, but that didn't really help.

It wasn't til she stumbled across a familiar door that she began to reclaim some of her confidence.

"The Doctor's room," she whispered to herself, although why she was whispering she had no idea.

A thought crossed her mind: the secret door! There had to be a key for it somewhere…

A pang of guilt rose in her stomach as she crept into the room. Maybe this was crossing a line. Curiosity was one thing, but this…

The guilt flew out of the window (had there been a window) as she spotted something yellow peeking out of a drawer. Curiosity got the better of her again, and she lowered the candle to get a better look.

"Ha! No _way_!" It was a Pugsley teddy! She could make out the spotted eye patch in the turquoise light. She laughed and laughed til her sides ached. She took it out of the drawer and put it carefully on his pillows. She'd tease him about that later. For now, she had to find that key. She ran her hand over the metal headboard frame, and let her mind wander just for a second. She laughed again when her fingers met a rough piece of fabric: the Doctor's Jamaican hat.

She wiped her forehead, and felt the itch on her wrist again. She wasn't going to find anything to cool her down in here. She turned to leave, and jumped a little as the lights suddenly flickered on again. And screamed.

--

"Rose?!" The Doctor ran through the corridors of his ship, searching for her. What had made her scream like that? He felt his hair flop down over his forehead: this heat was doing nothing for his image. Damn virus!

"Rose, where are you?!"

He skidded to a halt as he noticed an open door: the door to his bedroom. He frowned. Surely Rose wasn't…

At that moment she tumbled out of the room, flailing around like a mad woman. Her face was panic-stricken and pale. The Doctor managed to grab hold of her, and catch her eye.

"Rose, what's wrong?"

She whimpered, and held out her arm, still flapping her wrist wildly. The Doctor laughed.

What she'd thought was a candle had wrapped its feet around her wrist and was holding on for dear life.

The Doctor grinned at her, and carefully scooped the green thing from her arm.

"Oh, come here little guy, what the nasty lady done to you?" he cooed, taking it in his hands and cooing over it like it was a kitten.

Rose, finally free of the grabbing thing, stumbled backwards against the wall, trying to catch her breath. She glared at the Doctor.

"What the hell is that thing?" she demanded.

"It's a Figgley," he replied, as if that explained everything. He caught Rose's glare and elaborated. "They come from Rumos's second moon. It's a very small rock that doesn't reflect much light, but it has an oxygen atmosphere, and these little guys are born with a flame in their hair. Like the everlasting matches."

Rose stared wide eyed at the thing that had curled up in the Doctor's palm. "I thought it was a candle. It was in my cupboard. It didn't have a flame then."

"Must have been sleeping."

"Stupid thing scared me to death!"

"Hey, it's not stupid, just trusting."

A thought popped into the Doctor's mind, and he looked at his friend suspiciously.

"Why were you in my room?"

"Um…" Rose wanted to keep her quest for the key to herself for now. "Looking for something to cool down."

"Well, you won't find anything in there."

"Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna go get some ice cream."

The Doctor smiled at her, apparently buying the little fib.

Rose nodded, sighing in relief. "Bye. Bye Figgley. She leaned back into his room momentarily. "Bye Pugsley!"

She grinned to herself and set off to the kitchen.

The Doctor frowned to himself, and his eyes widened when he realised what she'd seen in his room.

"Oh, hell…Rose! It's not mine!"

--

Ha ha! What ya think? For the peeps who don't know, Pugsley is a yellow teddy, the mascot for the charity Children In Need. Anyone any ideas what's behind the secret door yet? I bet you'll never see it coming! Please make my day and review! That's all for now, TTFN xx


	8. Chapter 8

Hi all! I've just been flicking through some of the DW stories here and there really great! Just goes to show that Doctor Who is the best thing on TV. Ever. It inspires us all. Here's Chapter 8, and the secret door is driving Rose crazy…(my reviewers have had some great ideas as to what could be behind the door, so I thought I'd use some of them)…

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Ten Days QuarantineChapter Eight

Rose sat in the kitchen, eating some buttercup flavour ice cream (the Doctor had introduced her to it on a meadowy planet called Finword: it tasted better than it sounds, a bit like buttermilk). Her mind was screaming with random ideas of what could be behind that damn door.

_What if he's really a villain? Some sort of evil murderer and his victims were all piled up in there?_ Her thoughts immediately flew to a show she used to watch when she was young: a guy was travelling with a wise old professor trying to save the world, and in the end it turned out the professor had been the bad guy all along.

Rose grinned. _Get a grip, girl; this is real life, not TV…_

_What if he's got some insane obsession, like a collection of stuffed toys (although that wouldn't be too surprising after finding Pugsley in his room), or the universe's largest collection of commemorative plates, or his _trophies_ for the universe's largest collection of commemorative plates? Maybe he keeps bees…_

"Rose?"

Rose jumped as she heard the Doctor call her name. She hadn't heard him come in. He looked slightly embarrassed as he sat down next to her.

"I, um, just want you to know that Pugsley isn't mine." He coughed self-consciously as Rose started to giggle. "I'm… looking after it for someone."

"Sure you are."

He turned away from her and sulked a little as she tried to control her giggles. She knew he was getting restless: they'd been cooped up in the TARDIS for days now and the Doctor wasn't very good at keeping still.

"So what's behind the secret door?" she blurted out.

Realisation hit the Doctor like a cold downpour. "So that's why you was in my room. Looking for a key, eh?"

"Well you _did_ tell me I could explore!"

"That I did, but didn't you stop to think it might be locked for a reason?" he asked gently.

Now it was Rose's turn to sulk. Boy, that man had a way of making you feel guilty when he wanted to.

"S'pose."

"Okay, so can you let it go?"

"S'pose."

"Good."

Silence.

"Doc_tor_, tell me what's _in there, PLEASE_!" Rose whined like a little kid, stamping her feet on the ground in frustration.

The Doctor closed his eyes and counted to one billion in his head, then turned to face her.

"Rose, I'm sure you can understand my need for privacy."

Rose huffed and folded her arms, pouting in a way that always brought the Doctor's attention straight to those lovely lips of hers. _She really does have the most lovely…_

"Hobby," he cut himself off from his own train of thought.

"Wha?"

"It's just a hobby of mine. Not interesting in the slightest. Now," he said, changing the subject quickly. "What I actually came here to say is I've got a surprise for you. A much more _interesting_ room."

Rose's heart fluttered when she saw the cheeky glint in his eye, but calmed down when she saw it was nothing but innocent.

"Yeah?" she asked, still hopeful.

The Doctor nodded enthusiastically, took her hand and led her out of the kitchen down the corridor to another door she recognised. Her bedroom.

Rose nearly fainted there and then, wondering what he was up to, and hoping, more than just a little, that it would be something rather unDoctorish. Or it could have just been the heat. _Damn smog bug!_

"My room isn't that interesting," she stated carefully.

The Doctor just grinned mysteriously at her, and opened the door in a triumphant sweep.

Rose didn't no whether to be disappointed or elated.

He had filled her room with every fan and cooling system on the ship.

--

After a little while of laying on her bed with the breeze from a thousand fans beating down on her, Rose's mind began to wander back to that secret room.

_What the hell is he keeping in there? 'A hobby.' What does that _mean_? He wanted to keep it private, but he'd told her so much about himself already. Maybe he was embarrassed about it. How embarrassing could it be?_

She sat up, and shivered slightly. Either the hot flushes from the smog bug were dying down or there really could be 'too much of a good thing.' She went off in search of the Doctor again, to thank him for his thoughtfulness and discreetly pump him for information about _that_ room. She knew she was obsessing, but she didn't care. She had to know.

She jumped as she heard a buzzing go past her ear. She frowned. _Maybe he _was_ keeping bees after all…_

She found the Doctor in the kitchen again. He was eating the remains of her buttercup ice cream with gusto. He looked up as she entered the room.

"How'f thf fanf?" he asked through a mouthful of his snack.

Rose smiled. "The fans were great, thank you. I think the heat's wearing off."

The Doctor nodded, pleased, and turned back to his ice cream.

Rose let her hand wander aimlessly along the kitchen sideboard. "Y'know, we must be close to five days now, it seems like we've been stuck in her forev…"

She trailed off as her eyes fell upon something she'd never seen before. A tiny, insignificant drawer in the sideboard. She opened it with interest. It was a junk drawer, filled with spare bits of circuitry, twine, a measuring tape, and many other indistinguishable items. But something caught her eye.

A key. An ancient, bronze key with a purple glass stone fitted in the end. Her mind immediately went to the doorknob of the secret door. _It matches!_

It took the Doctor a few seconds to notice she'd stopped talking, and when he turned round, he nearly choked on the last of his ice cream as he saw what she was holding.

"Rose, give that to me, that's mine!"

"What, this?" she held it up tauntingly, backing away towards the door.

The Doctor panicked. "Rose, don't you dare!"

Too late. Rose turned and sped down the corridors, turning this way and that on a route she'd already memorised to the Doctor's secret room.

The Doctor had started after her as fast as he could. Normally, he would have beaten her, no problem, but with her already recovering from the heat of the virus, and him still being under its influence, she was already way ahead of him.

"ROSE! COME BACK! DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR!"

Gasping for breath, he eventually turned into the dark, forgotten corridor, and groaned. Rose had opened the door.

--

Cliff-hanger or what?! Next chapter reveals all. And don't worry, it's not as sinister as you might be thinking. After all, how sinister could the Doctor's hobby be…? (Evil laugh)

_Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think, hit Review. xx_


	9. Chapter 9

That was a nasty cliff-hanger, huh? Well, I was going to wait til tomorrow to post this, but I'm too impatient to find out what everyone thinks. You don't have to wait any longer, coz here's the answer to what's behind that secret door…xx

_(Sorry if it gets a bit soppy later on, I get carried away ____)_

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own my imagination. That is all.

Chapter NinePreviously…

"ROSE! COME BACK! DO NOT OPEN THAT DOOR!"

Gasping for breath, he eventually turned into the dark, forgotten corridor, and groaned. Rose had opened the door.

--

Rose stared, mouth open. Of all the things she had imagined could be in this room, _this_ was certainly not one of them. It just didn't seem like something the Doctor would do. The room had obviously been used recently, and she couldn't imagine why he wouldn't tell her about something like this…

The Doctor caught up with her, and barged past her, tidying up the mess as he tore through the room.

"You weren't supposed to see this," he murmured, embarrassed.

Rose was still staring. Of all the hobbies she'd imagined the Doctor entertaining, she never thought he'd play the piano.

But there, in the middle of the room, as large as life, was the most beautiful and well-kept grand piano she had ever seen (not that she'd seen many). As she looked around the room, she realised the 'mess' he was cleaning up was sheet music: some crumpled and discarded, others looked like work-in-progress, still others had been carefully sorted into piles. The Doctor flew past her field of vision, scooping up armfuls of papers and dumping them in a cabinet at the other end of the room. His face was red with embarrassment, and he avoided Rose's gaze. Rose's heart leapt into her mouth and escaped in empathetic words.

"Why didn't you tell me you played?"

The Doctor just shook his head, and muttered something about Beethoven.

"What was that?"

The Doctor sighed, and stopped his rampage briefly to address her.

"Spent a while with Beethoven back in the day. His music kind of… spoke to me. But you can only learn so much from others, even the masters, so…"

"So you write your own stuff?" she finished for him, reaching for one of the nearby pieces.

He snatched it from her roughly, although Rose suspected it was more likely due to embarrassment than anger.

"Yes, and it's very personal, so if you don't mind-"

He broke off as one of the papers fell from his arms. Rose immediately bent down to pick it up for him, and froze when she saw the title.

The Doctor cringed.

There were no lyrics, just the music. Rose didn't know what it meant, all those dots and lines, but the title definitely said enough.

"Doctor, is… is this song about…me?"

"Technically, s'not a song, there's no words-"

"Doctor. Is it about me?"

He said nothing.

Rose held up the paper so he could see it. "It's called 'Rose.'"

The Doctor just stared at her, wide-eyed. Those eyes, Rose almost lost herself in them, seeing below the surface and finding some honest truth that he wouldn't divulge.

She tore her eyes away, and glanced over the pile of papers in his arms. The titles of most had something to do with her.

She looked up at him again, and the Doctor felt her eyes piercing his soul. _This shouldn't have happened. She shouldn't have seen this. What have I done?_

He tore away from her gaze and tidied away the last of the papers.

Rose watching silently, still clutching the music of her namesake. She realised he still hadn't answered her question.

"Doctor is this about me?" she asked gently.

He leaned his back against the wall and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Yes."

The blunt answer surprised Rose - she didn't expect it. It took her brain a moment to process this new information.

"Okay," she replied acceptingly. "Why are you writing music about me?"

The Doctor grimaced. He'd been dreading that question since she'd found the key. The TARDIS tickled the back of his mind consolingly, encouraging him to tell Rose the truth. He shook his head to clear his mind.

"Because…I…"

Because I love you! Because you're the only good thing to happen to me in centuries. And because I know I won't have you forever!

"…Because you are the one thing in my life that always makes me smile. You healed me, Rose, I became a new man when I met you. A better man. And I always want to remember how that feels. You make me happy."

He stood up straight, let out a deep breath, and looked at the floor, waiting for a response.

Rose's eyes had unknowingly filled with tears. This wonderful man could still surprise her now, even after so long…

The Doctor heard footsteps, and looked up in time to see Rose fling her arms around his neck and pull him into a fierce embrace. He clung to her just as ferociously, as if everything he really wanted to say to her could be conveyed with a simple touch.

Rose whispered in his ear, her voice wavering. "Thank you, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded, and pulled her closer.

Rose smiled as a lone tear escaped her eye and found its way down her cheek to his neck.

"You make me happy, too. More than you'd believe."

--

It took a few minutes for them both to compose themselves again. The Doctor, accepting that his friend was not going to mock him for this almost human activity, started to sort through the papers he had thrown carelessly into the cabinet. Rose sat on the piano stool, still clutching the piece of music with her name scrawled along the top in his messy handwriting, along with several Galifreyan symbols she couldn't read. She looked across at the Doctor, who seemed tired at the emotional outburst.

_This smog bug is really messing him up_, she thought to herself.

The Doctor finally sat back against the wall, satisfied with his work. He looked at Rose and smiled, still a little embarrassed.

Rose mirrored his smile affectionately. "Why didn't you want me to see this?" She gestured to the room around them.

The Doctor sighed, and his eyes drooped tiredly. "Because I never thought…" _ She's been so accepting. _His mind went blank. "Y'know what? I really don't know."

Rose looked at him seriously. "You don't need to keep stuff like this from me."

He yawned. "I guess not."

Rose looked down at the music in her hand as he stood up.

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you play this for me?"

He looked down at her. This fantastic human girl. He'd fallen for her.

"Anything for you, you know that."

Rose smiled gratefully, and stood up to let him sit at the piano. He took the music from her, and nervously began to play.

The enchanting melody enveloped Rose like a piece of silk, and drifted out of the open door to fill the whole ship. It was beautiful.

Her Doctor, just for once, ignoring whatever plight may be going on in the universe outside, and focusing on her. This one, wonderful gift that she would never forget.

--

_Woah, went a bit overboard with the soppy stuff. Sorry. It just felt right. What to you think about the big reveal? I loved the idea of him playing at the end of 'The Lazarus Experiment' and thought I would use it. But this story's far from finished, so let me know what you think of this one please. Next time the Doctor and Rose start suffering from more serious symptoms… hallucinations and lapse in judgement. Now what could that lead to…? Please review xx_


	10. Chapter 10

Hello dear readers. Hope everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. Once again I want to say thank you for the great response I've had to this story. You guys rock!  After the last chapter I feel we need more of a laugh now, so the atmosphere is decidedly lighter in this chapter. Hope you enjoy xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. But I call dibs!

Chapter Ten

Rose sat at the table in the kitchen early the next morning (or what she considered to be early next morning), nursing a cup of coffee. Not her drink of choice, usually, but she needed something to clear her head. Last night (again, she was assuming it was 'night') he had told her more than he had planned to, she knew. And yet, she felt his revelation was restrained, like he was still holding something back.

Her thoughts were shattered as the Doctor entered the room, yawning and trying in vain to get his hair under control. She smiled as he sat down, not yet in the land of the living, and reached for a mug that wasn't there. He frowned in surprise and mumbled to himself.

"Oh, right, I didn't make one yet."

He stood up to turn the kettle on, and, in his half-awake state, blurted out:

"I have to say this is the most domestic week I have ever experienced."

Rose smiled, and wipes the sleep from her eyes. "Must have been a nightmare for you."

He shook his head emphatically. "The virus has been a nightmare, but the week… s'been okay."

He sat back down and smiled awkwardly at her. They sat together in silence for a while. Rose felt the atmosphere start to cloud up around them, til the Doctor broke it with a surprising apology.

"I want to… I just… sorry, for… shouting last night. I was embarrassed."

Rose nodded gracefully. "I know. And it's okay. I can… kind of understand why you did it. You wanted to keep it a secret."

If Rose didn't know better, she'd say the Doctor was squirming in his seat.

"Not exactly." He sighed. "I don't know what it was, I just… it seems silly now. I suppose I would have shown you, eventually…"

Rose smiled. She knew what he was trying to say. Or at least she thought she did.

She stood up, washed her mug, and touched his shoulder consolingly.

"Don't worry, Doctor. I just didn't know. But I do now." She left the kitchen with a smile.

The Doctor frowned. "What does that mean?"

--

"I just didn't know. But I do now." Those words tortured the Doctor all day. What did she mean? She didn't know about the music? She didn't know she makes me happy? No, that can't be it.

The TARDIS trickled into his head, almost laughing at him as he pondered these thoughts over and over again. She suggested that he ask Rose what she meant, but he dismissed that idea as ridiculous. The TARDIS banged a door closed in his face in response to his mean words.

Eventually he found himself in the library, and not looking for anything in particular, began browsing the shelves. His eye wandered over to the couch in front of the fireplace where he and Rose had spent the other evening, shivering and huddled up together in front of the fire. He smiled fondly at the thought, but it brought him full circle in his mind to the fact that Rose had made that bizarre statement in the kitchen.

"I just didn't know. But I do now."

He groaned. He would never understand that woman. That's probably what made her so intriguing. He glanced over at the wall behind the fireplace and frowned. He couldn't remember putting a dartboard up there…

--

Rose lay on her bed, reading a magazine she had picked up last time they were on earth. Apparently, in the year 2160, moon boots were back in and silver straw hats were all the rage. She shuddered at the thought, and looked down at her own, rather ordinary attire. Much more appropriate for world-saving. Not that we've been doing much of that lately…

She frowned. And squealed. There was a bee on her leg! How did a bee get in the TARDIS? She shooed it away, and stood up off her bed. There was another one! And another one. Freaked out, she left her room to find the Doctor.

She walked quickly down the corridor, hoping the TARDIS was leading her in the right direction. She heard another buzz next to her ear, and flicked her head to the side. Even though she knew no one was watching her, she blushed. Good thing no one's watching, they'd have me committed.

But now she was sure she wasn't hearing things. There was a definite buzzing noise behind her head. It was getting louder.

The turned around slowly, and came face to face with a creature of nightmares: a giant bumblebee the size of a spaniel was hovering next to her, stinger at the ready.

She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but reason told her this thing could not possibly be here. However, reason had kind of gone out of the window since she came aboard the TARDIS. She had to settle for an unladylike "Gah!" and fled down the corridor.

--

Rose burst through the door of the library to find something flying at her from inside the room. This time she managed to scream, as it missed her head by a few inches and hit the doorframe.

She glared at the Doctor, who was poised, another dart in hand, ready to throw.

"Out of the way, Rose," he said impatiently. He was obviously distracted by something.

Rose remembered the monster bee, and slammed the door shut, running to hide behind the Doctor, panting. The latter lowered his dart, and turned to look at her like she was out of her mind.

"Rose, whatever's the matter?"

Rose blinked hard, and looked up at him. "A giant bee was following me, it came from my room I think, and…" realisation hit her. "You threw a dart at me!"

The Doctor looked at her, genuinely shocked. "I would never throw a dart at you, Rose. As for the bee…"

He went over to the door and opened it wide. Rose winced in expectation, but there was nothing there. She blushed.

"Okay?" the Doctor asked, just a little too patronisingly.

Rose frowned at him.

"Well, okay, that's great. M'seeing things now!" Her mind wandered back to when she had been guessing about he secret room. "Are you sure you don't keep bees?" She glanced at the Doctor, who was ready to throw another dart, this time at the bookshelves. "Doctor, what the hell are you doing?"

"That bloody dartboard keeps moving. I can't quite-"

Rose lowered his arm, adopting a tone she would use with a small child. "Doctor, there's no dartboard. It's not playing tricks on you. I promise."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "You sure?"

She nodded, her blonde hair falling over her face slightly. The Doctor put down his darts and sighed.

"Hallucinations," he sighed in frustration.

Rose sighed. "Damn smog bug."

--

Woohoo ten chapters! Please review, don't make me beg… xx


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello again!_

_Sorry it's been a few days since I've updated, I've been majorly busy. But here are two new chapters for ya, hope you enjoy. This story is slowly drawing to a close now, and I've got two great endings in line I just can't decide on. I'll let you know more in later chapters. For now, please enjoy and let me know what you think xx_

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own nada.

Chapter Eleven

Rose stirred, and slowly her eyes flickered open. She blinked as the first rays of morning sunshine filtered through the blinds and landed indiscreetly across her face. She frowned. _There's no blinds in the TARDIS…_

Her eyes opened wide as she looked around and realised where she was. The bright pink aura and mountains of stuffed toys (not a Pugsley in sight) left her in no doubt.

_But this is impossible!_

"You up yet, Rose?"

Rose sat up and flicked back the covers. Still in her pyjamas, she wandered out of the room, and found herself looking at the living room of her mother's cramped flat. The Powell Estate. London. England. Earth.

The voice that called to her earlier swam through the air again, and this time Rose recognised it. And her heart sank.

"What you doing after work tonight, love?" Jackie appeared from the kitchen with two mugs, and offered one to her daughter. "I thought I'd better make you one. I know what you're like without caffeine."

Rose took the mug carefully, and the aroma of crushed coffee beans filled her lungs.

She looked up at her mum, who had made her way into the living room and turned on the breakfast news.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked shakily.

Her mum visibly frowned, but didn't turn her head from the screen.

"What are you talking about? You not well? Dr. Karmell's away, but I think there's another doctor taking his place at the minute.

"NO!" Rose exploded. "_The_ Doctor! Great big time machine? Saved the world hundreds of times? Pinstripe suit?"

Jackie finally turned to look at her daughter. "What were you _drinking _last night?"

Rose sighed in frustration. She put her mug down on the cluttered coffee table, and went to look out of the window. Just an ordinary day on the Powell estate. No TARDIS in sight.

"Mum, stop messing around, where is he?"

"Who? Mickey?"

Rose looked at the TV. In the bottom corner it said Thursday, May 11th 2006. 7.47a.m. She shook her head. This couldn't be happening.

She ran back to her room and broke the world record for getting dressed, and ran out of the flat. Jackie called after her. "You want chips tonight?"

Rose ran down the staircases to the ground floor and burst out into the street. No sight of the Doctor.

"Doctor?!"

Nothing.

She ran all the way to Mickey's flat, and banged on he door til her hand hurt. Mickey opened the door groggily, and frowned when he saw her distressed expression.

"What's up with you, then? And where'd you go last night, you just went off."  
She ignored his statement. "Where's the Doctor?"

"Who?"

"The Doctor. Mickey, please tell me you know who he is."

Mickey wiped the sleep from his eyes, and shook his head. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek, which made Rose recoil in shock.

"What's up?" he asked.

Rose shook her head, and ran back out into the street.

"DOCTOR! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

--

Darkness. All around was darkness. The Doctor shuddered, squinting his eyes, looking for something, _any_ source of light to fix on. But there was nothing. He took a step forward, and another. Something was wrong, and it took him a moment to realise what it was. His footsteps made no sound. He jumped on the ground several times, but there was no thud, no echo.

"Hello?" he called, but immediately clamped his mouth shut. No sound came from his throat. He frowned, and reached for his sonic screwdriver. It wasn't there: his pockets were empty. This wasn't good.

_Where am I? Where's Rose?_

Those were the only thoughts running through his mind. He turned around, and his hearts almost stopped in panic.

A Dalek, right behind him. He began to run from it, but he found her could barely move. On closer inspection, he saw that the Dalek was making no move to chase him, to kill him. No move at all. He dared to look into the eyestalk, and there was no light there, no life. The Doctor frowned, and began to walk around this mysterious shell of a monster.

A sudden noise surprised him: the first noise he'd heard in this place. Carnival music. Faint, haunting carnival music coming from behind him. He turned around, and his eyes widened in horror.

Inching towards him through the air of their own accord, a herd of pink balloon elephants, with eyes that glared at him. He tried to run, but again found this useless. He yelled, but to no avail.

All he could do was hide behind the dead Dalek, waiting for them to find him…

--

"AARGH!"

Two simultaneous screams rang out through the TARDIS, and two figures ran towards each other down a never-ending corridor in a blur of flannel pyjamas and flailing arms. They eventually found each other, and screamed in shock at the sight of another living thing in their path.

"Doctor!"

"Rose!"

They hugged fiercely, trying to catch their breath. Rose was crying into the Doctor's shoulder.

"Don't take me home, promise you'll never leave me at home. She clung to the Doctor like a maniac, refusing to let go. "They didn't know who you were, they thought I was insane…"

The Doctor finally managed to speak, his words slightly muffled against her shoulder.

"Those damn elephants!"

It took a moment for Rose to work out what he'd said. When she did, she pulled him back and looked him in the eye, confused.

"What?"

"Don't ever, _ever_ take me to a carnival."

--

They both sat in Rose's room, holding mugs of cocoa in slightly trembling hands. Rose was curled up in the covers, and the Doctor sat on the end of her bed, tapping his mug in thought.

_No matter what he's just been through, _Rose thought as the tapping made her cringe, _if he doesn't stop that soon I'll introduce him to hot chocolate shampoo._

"Virus."

Rose blinked, and smiled sweetly in his direction. "Sorry?"

"Nightmares. Another effect of the virus."

Rose nodded, and shuddered, remembering that all-to-vivid dream.

The Doctor noticed her shuddering. "Don't worry. Only a couple of days left now."

A Cheshire cat smile grew on Rose's face. "Yeah. And you haven't even been _that_ bored."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, finished the remains of his drink, and took the mug with him.

"Goodnight, Rose."

"Night, Doctor."

He left the room, but hovered in the doorway.

"Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"Never rent 'Dumbo.'"

--

_Thanks for reading, please review xx_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 here, and those lapses in judgement are starting to kick in. Hope you enjoy xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Honestly, I really don't.

Chapter Twelve

Rose blinked as little air bubbles tickled her eyes, and the cool water filtered through her hair. She reached the floor, and pushed herself back up to the surface of the pool, pushing her hair from her face as she did. It took her a moment to get her vision into focus, and when she did, she laughed.

The Doctor was sprawled out in a giant inflatable ring, wearing swim shorts and flippers, eating a banana and trying in vain not to get his hair wet.

Rose grinned, and swam over to him, silently praying her mascara hadn't run. She clung to the side of the ring, making it wobble slightly. The Doctor panicked, limbs flailing wildly.

"Rose, you nearly made me fall in!"

"Aw, that would be terrible, you might get your hair wet."

"I know, could you imagine!" he said in almost genuine horror.

Rose smiled at his childishness, and poked his shoulder playfully, before disappearing under the water. It wasn't until she had climbed out of the pool and started drying off with her towel that the Doctor realised what she'd done.

"Rose, how could you?!" The ring slowly deflated, leaving the Time Lord fumbling around, trying to keep the banana above the water.

Rose watched his antics with amusement. Then her phone rang. It surprised her for two reasons, one – it hardly ever rang, and two – she couldn't remember bringing it out of her room.

She answered it nonetheless. It was Jackie.

"Hi, mum!" she answered brightly.

"_Don't you 'hi mum' me!" _

Rose's smile fell.

"When are you coming to see me? You've not visited for ages. And I know it's a time machine and it's hard to keep track, but that's no excuse."

"I know mum, I'm sorry, s'just, at the minute, we can't."

By this time the Doctor had managed to clamber out of the pool, and was making his way round to Rose, flippers flapping insanely against the tiles.

"Rose Tyler!"

Rose giggled, and shushed him, pointing to the phone against her ear.

She could almost hear Jackie frown.

"_What's going on? What are you two up to?"_

"Nothing, mum." Rose tried to fight off the Doctor's tickling hands. "We can't visit right now. We're a bit stuck."

"Stuck! What d'ya mean 'stuck'?"

"Well, were sort of in… quarantine. Don't worry, the TARDIS is looking after us."

She couldn't fight the Doctor off any longer, and ran around the edge of the pool away from him. He grinned, undeterred, and set off after her, his flippers slapping noisily.

"What's that slapping?"

"Nothing. Look I've gotta go, mum. I love you."

"Wait, wha-"

Rose shut off the call and threw it on a nearby recliner. "Doctor, I was _trying _to talk to my mum!"

"You made me get wet!"

Rose laughed as he lunged at her. She tried to dodge him, but too late. He grabbed her round the waist, and dragged her into the water with him. Underwater, Rose managed to push him off, and surfaced, choking a little. The Doctor took this opportunity to grab her again, and wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let her go.

"Doctor!"

He just grinned charmingly at her. Rose could never resist that grin, and felt her own mouth turning up at the corners. She looked deep into those eyes so close to hers, and gave a small sigh of relief. This last week or so, his eyes had lost their spark, and that made Rose very aware of just how ill he'd been. Now, she could see the life starting to return to those chocolatey orbs, and she felt relieved.

_Why is she looking at me like that?_ the Doctor wondered to himself, not once taking his eyes off hers. _She really is beautiful. Surely she must know by now how much she means to me?_

Before he knew what was going on, he found his fingers brushing through her dripping hair, and he tentatively leaned closer…

Rose couldn't breathe. _This is happening! It's really happening…!_

BRRRRRRR!

The Doctor stopped abruptly, millimetres away from her lips as the shrill ring of her mobile rang out across the water.

Rose jumped, and the Doctor quickly let go of her, muttering some sort of apology under his breath.

Rose scrambled out of the pool, trembling slightly as she grabbed her phone and answered the call through gritted teeth.

"Hi, mum."

"What do you mean 'quarantine'?"

--

Rose sat on her bed, playing the almost-kiss through in her mind over and over again? He'd never done anything like that before. She'd always hoped… but he'd never actually…

_Maybe it's the smog bug, messing up his mind,_ she reasoned. _But he'd really looked like he wanted to. _

She started doubting herself. Lapse in judgement, he's mentioned when he'd scanned her. _That must be it._

Enough second-guessing. She _had _to know. And she knew just what to do…

--

The Doctor was in the control room, tinkering on the underside of the panel. Not that he needed to. It was an attempt to do something he considered _normal_. It was because he was bored out of his wits. It was nothing to do with the fact that he'd almost kissed the woman he loved.

The TARDIS scorned him for the way he was handling the situation, and he snapped at her.

"What was I supposed to do?!"

The panel sparked him in response, making him curse.

_I'm such a coward!_ He tortured himself. _Daleks, no problem. Sycorax, easy. Werewolf, sorted in a jiffy. But do something that could actually make me happy? Must be joking!_

It was at this moment that Rose entered the room, and saw him deep in thought. She smiled at his expression, aware that he hadn't heard her come in. She crept closer and knelt down next to him.

"Doctor?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin, banging his head on the panel in the process.

"Argh, damn it! Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me!"

"I wasn't sneaking. Are you alright?" Rose ran her hand over his forehead, checking for a bump.

He looked up at her from his undignified position on the floor, and gulped. In all of time and space, he'd never met a human who'd managed to make a simple touch feel like a supernova before.

"Um…"

He stood up quickly, brushing down his suit, avoiding her eye.

Rose puzzled over his reaction, but decided to ignore it.

"I've got a surprise for you, Doctor."

--

_Okay, that's your lot for now. I'll be updating at the weekend. Please let me know what you think: hit Review! TTFN xx_


	13. Chapter 13

Hi everybody! Hope you're liking this story; it's a lotta fun to write. It's quickly coming to an end now. Already have a great idea for my next one! Enjoy xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even this computer, it's my parents'.

Chapter ThirteenPreviously…

"Doctor?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin, banging his head on the panel in the process.

"Argh, damn it! Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me!"

"I wasn't sneaking. Are you alright?" Rose ran her hand over his forehead, checking for a bump.

He looked up at her from his undignified position on the floor, and gulped. In all of time and space, he'd never met a human who'd managed to make a simple touch feel like a supernova before.

"Um…"

He stood up quickly, brushing down his suit, avoiding her eye.

Rose puzzled over his reaction, but decided to ignore it.

"I've got a surprise for you, Doctor."

--

The Doctor felt his eyes widen involuntarily, and his hearts froze in his chest. That statement made a million images swirl round his head that he'd never even considered before. _Images that shouldn't be there_, said the Time Lord inside him. _Images that I've been longing to come true since the day I met this woman_, said the lonely, love-struck soul inside him. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and something happened that Rose had never seen before.

"Doctor, are you _blushing_?"

The Doctor ran his hands over his burning cheeks in surprise. Yes, he was indeed blushing. But he shook his head, denying his embarrassment profusely, and quickly his curiosity got the better of him.

"So what's th-this surprise?" he stammered.

Rose just smiled sweetly, and took his hand in hers. "Follow me."

He obeyed, and was led from the control room into the winding corridors of the inner TARDIS. This corridor lead to several rooms, the Doctor knew, but he only had one in his mind: a certain blonde's bedroom.

_Why am I thinking like this? If she knew, she'd probably have me hanged!_

Rose smiled to herself. She had spent a long time on this surprise (well, what felt like a long time, anyway, in the TARDIS she couldn't tell, she'd given up with her watch long ago), and she couldn't wait to see his reaction. She led him this way and that down the corridor past (to the Doctor's hidden dismay) her bedroom, to…

"Oh. The Kitchen." The Doctor was confused. Surprise…?

But Rose's eager beam wiped away any disappointment on his part, and they entered the room, Rose opening the door with a flourish.

The room was warm and smelled of an amalgamation of hundreds of spices and aromatic scents. The Doctor looked over at the table, which had been set for two people. His face broke into a grin.

"Oh, Rose! You cooked!"

Rose smiled at his reaction. She hated cooking – she could manage chips if she put her mind to it – but she knew the Doctor _loved _food, and since they'd been quarantined they had basically lived on soup and toast. So she had made an extra-special effort to make a meal that he wouldn't soon forget. She had raided the cupboards, which, like most things in the TARDIS, were bigger on the inside, divulging a range of ingredients and utensils that would put certain angry TV chefs to shame.

The Doctor sat down eagerly at the table, and tucked a napkin into his shirt collar, making it stick out at absurd angles. Rose busied herself near the cooker, and finally returned with two plates and a smug look of pride.

"Here we go. Shepherd's Pie with… I think they're carrots, and peas."

Rose sat down and watched the Doctor eye his food eagerly. She _had_ wanted to surprise him, but she knew she had another agenda, too… She frowned. She couldn't think what that other agenda was at the moment. Her brain was feeling fuzzy. _Damn smog bug!_

The Doctor looked like a little kid as he thanked Rose and heartily tucked into the meal. But no sooner had he taken a bite, his face turned slightly green. Rose had yet to try her own cooking, and when she saw his face she looked down at her fork like the food would bite her.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes started to water, and he flew out of the room in a flurry of napkin and pinstripe.

"What's wrong?!" Rose called after him.

He returned a few minutes later, looking decidedly more presentable. He sat down, stifling a laugh under his napkin.

"What?" Rose asked crossly.

"Erm… where did you find the potatoes?"

Rose frowned as she thought. "Cupboard under the microwave. Why?"

"They're… not potatoes. They're called 'Cl'kil'targ.' They're from Jupiter, and they're the hottest root vegetable in the universe. You're only supposed to season with them, not _eat _them whole!"

Rose's face was growing redder by the minute.

The Doctor grinned broadly. "And what did you say these were?" he pointed at the 'vegetables' next to the main dish.

"Carrots and peas."

Again the Doctor shook his head. "Nope, they're called 'Alivas.' They look like veg, but they taste like anchovies."

Rose didn't know what to say. "I-I I'm sorry. I didn't know." She glared at him with a sudden flurry of anger. "_You _should label your cupboards!"

The Doctor smiled sadly down at his plate. "It looks lovely, though. It's the thought that counts. Have you done dessert?"

Rose smiled nervously. "Supposed to be a trifle."

The Doctor visibly grimaced. "Used the pink custard?"

"Yeah."

"That's not custard."

Rose stared at him blankly for a few seconds, and suddenly burst out laughing. The Doctor joined her, glad she hadn't taken this to heart. Rose stood up to clear the plates away, and the Doctor joined her at the sideboard, still laughing. He pulled her into a hug.

"Aw, come here. Thanks for making the effort."

Rose smiled into his shoulder, and looked up at him. The Doctor breathed heavily, as if being this close to Rose made focusing on anything else impossible.

"I… just…" those feelings were starting to rise up in his stomach again, images whirring round his head, making sensible thought very difficult. What had he said before about lapses in judgement? This virus was affecting him more than he'd admitted. And now…

He gulped when he realised Rose hadn't looked away yet.

She's so beautiful, has such a wonderful heart. Surely one moment of weakness after centuries couldn't-

"No!" he pushed Rose from him, his eyes wide like a madman. Rose stared at him in astonishment.

"What, Doctor?"

He knew he wasn't in control. For now, the virus was like smog clouding his mind. He knew he couldn't trust himself. If he gave in now, what would Rose think?

Without taking a moment to explain to Rose, he ran off.

He ran out of the kitchen. Down the corridor. Past the cricket room. To the piano room. And locked himself inside.

--

Poor Doctor, I really am starting to feel sorry for him, even though it's my own story! Please review xx


	14. Chapter 14

Helloooooolovely readers! Again I want to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed, you've all been so encouraging! Here's chapter 14. I've got a bit of a dilemma with the end of this story, I'll tell you about it in chapter 15. For now, enjoy xx

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I have the right to freedom of speech. I do not have the rights to Doctor Who.

Chapter FourteenPreviously…

"No!" he pushed Rose from him, his eyes wide like a madman. Rose stared at him in astonishment.

"What, Doctor?"

He knew he wasn't in control. For now, the virus was like smog clouding his mind. He knew he couldn't trust himself. If he gave in now, what would Rose think?

Without taking a moment to explain to Rose, he ran off.

He ran out of the kitchen. Down the corridor. Past the cricket room. To the piano room. And locked himself inside.

--

Rose chased after him, and was just in time to see him disappear into the hidden room, and she heard the key turn in the lock. She ran up to the door and banged ferociously on it.

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

She could tell he wasn't fine. His voice could have matched the pitch of a choirboy's.

"Don't lie to me, mister high and mighty Time Lord. Tell me the truth. You know I'll find out eventually."

Inside the room the Doctor cringed. He knew that was true. She always found out. She'd even found out about this room. His mind was a jumble of thoughts and images, all tearing around his head and trying to take over. Images that made him feel incredibly guilty.

Should I feel guilty about thinking this way about the woman I love?

The TARDIS was busy trying to reason with him, and the Doctor felt like he was being ganged up on.

He tried to focus for a minute, filtering through his thoughts til he found the cause of his irrational thinking: the virus.

He consulted the TARDIS, and grinned. He knew it!

"Rose!" he called through the door. "The virus is almost over, got about an hour left!"

Rose frowned. "How can you tell? Viruses don't exactly go by a timetable."

"Yes they do. It's only on Earth that they're erratic, on almost every other planet the effects can be counted down by the second!"

"So why can't you come out? Like you said, it's nearly over."

The Doctor groaned, and leaned against the wall. He wanted more than anything to go out there and be with Rose. But he knew he couldn't trust himself right now.

"I think I'll wait in here." A thought struck him. "You're not experiencing any… lapse in judgement, are you?"

"I don't think so," came the belated reply. "My head's a bit fuzzy, though."

No reply.

Rose sighed in frustration. She wasn't going to stand around for an hour waiting for him to unlock the door. She had an idea.

"You know what? You stay in there, that's fine. 'Cos I'm going to the wardrobe room."

The Doctor almost felt his jaw hit the ground. "Why?"

"There's all those outfits of your up there. I haven't had a chance to look through them yet, and some of them look hilarious…"

The Doctor panicked. _Damn that woman!_

"No, Rose, you don't have to do that, they're not really that interesting-"

Rose beamed, realising she had the upper hand. "I think _I'll_ be the judge of that."

"Rose, don't you dare. Rose. Rose?"

Rose made her way up the stairs to the wardrobe room, which was as vast and mismatched as any shopping arcade she'd ever visited. She also knew that this room was directly above the piano room, which meant, if she spoke loud enough."

"I'LL JUST HAVE A LOOK IN HERE, THEN."

The Doctor scowled, hearing every word. She really knew how to torture him.

Rose flicked through the various outfits, passing comment about each one. The TARDIS was more than happy to play along with this game, and helped Rose find the Doctor's more… outlandish outfit choices.

Tears of laughter streamed down her cheeks as she picked out a Robin Hood outfit. _Must be a Halloween costume._

"WHEN ARE YOU _REALLY_ GOING TO USE A ROBIN HOOD COSTUME, DOCTOR?"

The Doctor groaned. This was _so _unfair.

Rose made her way deeper into the wardrobe, giggling to herself. Suddenly, she felt a chill along her spine, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

The Doctor was wondering how to make her come back downstairs. Maybe if he set off the fire alarm? Or tempted her with chocolate, or-

And that's when he heard the scream.

--

_Okay, I know this chapter's a bit shorter than usual, but I think that's a good place to leave it. I wanna build up the suspense. Next one will be good, I promise. Please review xx_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hola everyone! _

_Well, here we are. The finale. Or is it? Read on… xx_

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Think of me as a Borrower…

Chapter FifteenPreviously…

Rose made her way deeper into the wardrobe, giggling to herself. Suddenly, she felt a chill along her spine, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

The Doctor was wondering how to make her come back downstairs. Maybe if he set off the fire alarm? Or tempted her with chocolate, or-

And that's when he heard the scream.

--

"Rose? ROSE?!"  
Nothing. The Doctor was torn. On the one hand, he didn't want to go to Rose, not while his mind was overrun with these… thoughts. But he just couldn't ignore that scream. He knew when she was messing around, and that scream had certainly sounded real enough.

He unlocked the door and ran as fast as he could to the staircase, and stumbled up the winding steps til he reached the wardrobe room.

"Rose?"

He couldn't see her, but with the help of the TARDIS he blundered through the rails of hanging garments to a figure huddled in a corner.

"Oh, Rose…"

Her hair and face were a mess, like she'd been crying. She was hugging something she'd pulled off a rail: on closer inspection the Doctor noticed it was the leather jacket his ninth self had worn. Rose's eyes were wild and she was lashing out in vain at the air. She hadn't even noticed the Doctor.

"No, go away!" she whimpered, almost inaudibly. She screamed. "NO! I'M SORRY, PLEASE DON'T!"

"Rose, what is it, what can you see?" he asked, trying to keep his distance from her (he still didn't trust himself).

The frightened blonde seemed to vaguely recognise his presence, and looked up at him with misty eyes. "They… they killed Jack. They want to destroy everyone. Everything. The whole earth."

She jumped, and squealed as if she'd seen a nightmare. Maybe she had.

"I'll be back in a minute. Hold on, Rose."

He ran back down the stairs with some sort of primal, protective energy, stumbled into the Medlab and found the purple scanner that looked like a ruler. He flew straight back upstairs, and knelt down a few meters away from Rose, who now had her arms over her head in a defensive position. The Doctor held the scanner at arms length, and, through the gravity of the situation, a smile rung out on his face.

"Rose. Look at me."

She heard his voice calling to her faintly through the nightmare, and looked over at his familiar shape.

"Doctor?"

"Yes," he sighed, relieved she recognised him. "You're hallucinating. The virus, remember? Golopo, the swamps? It's almost finished, Rose, just a few minutes left. What you can see, it's not real. Trust me."

Rose shivered. She really did want to trust him, but how could he not see the nightmare that was making it's way slowly towards her, menacing and brutal, almost laughing with insanity and preparing to kill.

"Doctor, it's coming…"

"Don't look at it Rose, it's not real."

But Rose was frozen with fear, her eyes glued to the terrifying figure that was now looming over her. The Doctor didn't know what she was seeing, but he could guess. She'd said it had killed Jack. He felt his blood boil in his veins. Even after their destruction they managed to haunt her…

"You destroyed them, Rose. You stopped them. Of all the creatures in the whole universe, you made them stop. Don't be afraid."

But Rose couldn't help it. They were the monsters of her nightmares, she knew what they were capable of. And yet to her, the Doctor was refusing to help.

"Doctor, I need you. It's gonna kill me. Doctor!"

What was he to do? In a single moment of clarity, he knew. He had to put his doubts about his own self-control to one side. Real or not, Rose was in danger, and she needed him. He scrambled closer to her on the floor, avoiding her thrashing limbs.

_She's gonna hurt herself_.

He wrapped her up in his arms, tossing the leather jacket behind them, and just held her. There were only moments to go til the virus left them, and he knew her hallucinations would stop. But now she was shaking with terror and shedding tears of fear. He couldn't bear to see her like this. It broke his hearts. Even though he barely trusted himself to speak, he had to comfort her. The words tumbled out of his mouth as inexorably as the Oncoming Storm himself:

"Rose, it's okay, we're in the TARDIS. The Daleks can't get in. I will never let them hurt you. I promise. You're here, and you're safe with me. I love you."

From within Rose's mind, his words were as faint as the whisperings of the wind, but those three little words shone out like the sun against the menacing monster haunting her. With renewed confidence, Rose managed to open her eyes and stare down the Dalek in front of her. She had no reason to be afraid.

WHAM!

Within one unimaginable moment, the terror from her past left her, and she found herself in the TARDIS once more, huddled on the floor in a jumble of clothes with the Doctor.

The Doctor found his head clearing, rational thought beginning to assert itself from among the swirling nonsense in his head. He opened his eyes to find Rose in his arms, looking pale and tired, but free from haunting nightmares.

"I take it the bug's gone?" she smiled weakly.

The Doctor nodded, so proud of her for standing up to her demons.

"Yeah. All gone. Ten days: a walk in the park, eh?"

--

A few minutes later they found themselves back in the Medlab, and this time Rose lay down on the medical bed while the Doctor scanned her, then himself.

"Yep. All traces of the virus gone. Told you it was predictable. We can go now. Anywhere you want!"

He bounded off to the control room, not once looking Rose in the eye. What he had said had shaken both of them. It was so… unexpected. And now, he was being typically Doctorish, masking his emotions with a flurry of indistinguishable activity and babbling nonsense. Rose followed him reluctantly.

"… We could go to see the first frost on Pluto! Billions of years ago, what d'you think? Or how about Socrates? He's great, he is. So easy to argue with! Or how about-"

Rose stopped him dead in his tracks by placing her hand on top of his and it trailed over the console. She locked him in a gaze that was both compelling and relentless. The Doctor gulped. With that look, she could make him do anything.

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

Rose hesitated, but she couldn't turn back now. She took a deep breath.

"You said you love me."

--

What do you think? Okay, this is my dilemma: I love this part, and think it would be a great place to finish the story. But if you really want to know what happens next, I've written another chapter, kind of an epilogue. Would you like me to post it, or should I leave it like this? Please let me know what to do xx


	16. Epilogue

_Okay, okay I give in. Here's the final piece I promised you. Hope you like it xx_

Ten Days Quarantine

Disclaimer: Not mine. Well, the story is, but all characters, time machines etc belong to the Beeb.

EpiloguePreviously…

"… We could go to see the first frost on Pluto! Billions of years ago, what d'you think? Or how about Socrates? He's great, he is. So easy to argue with! Or how about-"

Rose stopped him dead in his tracks by placing her hand on top of his as it trailed over the console. She locked him in a gaze that was both compelling and relentless. The Doctor gulped. With that look, she could make him do anything.

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

Rose hesitated, but she couldn't turn back now. She took a deep breath.

"You said you love me."

--

He blinked. He blinked again. He'd never been so conscious of his eyelids before, but now, they seemed to be in a flurry of activity all of their own as he wracked his brain trying to think of something to say.

"Um… yes. I think I did." Suddenly he grinned broadly. "Your mind wasn't the only one messed up by the virus, eh?"

He cringed as soon as the words fell out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say it like that. Not like an insult. Not like a rejection. He'd meant it in good humour, but judging by the clouded look of hurt and embarrassment spreading across Rose's face, that's not the way it had sounded.

"Rose, I didn't-"

"No, it's fine." She didn't look at him, choosing instead to pout at the control station. She was so humiliated. Of _course_ it had been the virus speaking before. It _had_ been a particularly unDoctorish moment. And he was trying to make her see sense, ignore her nightmares. He would have said _anything_ to make her snap out of it.

"Doctor, where are we right now?" she asked abruptly, without looking at him.

It took the Doctor a moment to realise what she meant. He looked at the monitor, eager to please.

"Um, Cralium. Lots of little Grecian-style islands."

"Can we land." It was a demand, not a question.

"Yeah, sure." The Doctor did his thing and soon the TARDIS rumbled into existence on a sunny little island.

Before he could say anything, Rose had made her way across the control room and out of the door into the fresh air. He decided, for once, not to follow her.

Rose closed her eyes and breathed in gulps of the heavenly sea air and relished the feel of the salty breeze ruffling her hair. Ten days inside, and it felt so good to be out again. That was until she opened her eyes, and saw the sign in front of her. It was so huge and bright it looked vulgar against the natural beauty of the island, almost like vandalism. It read:

Welcome to De'kem

Cralium's Island of Love and Dreams.

Rose groaned. How cheesy? And how ironic that they should land here. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he'd landed them here on purpose.

She made her way over a rocky cliff, savouring being able to stretch her legs. She headed down away from the TARDIS, to where she could see what looked like a café. She kept walking til she reached it, and could only just make out the shape of the TARDIS in the distance on the cliff top. She found a table in a secluded corner where she could be left unnoticed to ponder on her thoughts.

All around her were couples: some humanoid, others… um… not (Rose decided not to categorise). But they all looked so happy and content, just to _be___with each other.

Even though they weren't technically a couple, Rose had often thought of herself and the Doctor like that. Saving planets was necessary, and life-affirming. Meeting people from the past was thought-provoking. Meeting people from the future was awe-inspiring. But when all was said and done, when planets were safe, villains were dealt with and goodbyes had been said, there they were, her and the Doctor, _her_ Doctor as she had so often thought. Maybe that was naïve. After all, could the Lord of Time belong to one person, from one planet at one time? Her, of all people? She had often seen the way he looked at her, when she said something unexpected, or did something amazing, and that look had always been there since the day they met. Had she mistaken it for love? Was she searching too hard for something that wasn't there?

A waiter interrupted her trail of thought. A purple waiter, carrying a tray of frothing drinks.

"Miss, why are you crying?"

"I-I'm not," she denied self-consciously, but raising a hand to her cheek she found wet streaks, ending in droplets on the table. "I'm sorry."

The waiter smiled kindly. "Please don't apologise. It is just that this," he gestured around him, "is the island of love. And no love can be found when there is no happiness in the heart."

Rose wasn't quite sure if she understood or agreed with that, but she nodded and smiled politely. "I guess not. But I'm not looking for love."

"Ah, no, I can see in your eyes, you already know love, but you ponder…" The waiter glanced around, Rose guessed to see if he was being observed by his superiors, before handing her one of the frothing drinks.

"A gift, for the troubled soul."

Rose looked down with apprehension at the unidentifiable liquid, but not wanting to offend him, she accepted it gratefully. The waiter bowed, made his good wishes known and left.

Rose absentmindedly let her hand pass over the foam, making her palm tingle. She turned as music filled the air, and watched a large orange alien with a bulbous nose play a piano-like instrument for his love, who watched with adoration.

Rose smiled to herself. At any other time, she would have been rolling on the floor laughing at the cheesiness of this place.

Her mind wandered back to the Doctor. He had played the piano for her. Made wonderful music about her, _for _her. So what if he didn't love her like that? He certainly loved her as a friend: she was his best friend, and he made that known often enough. She thought back to all the times he had grabbed her hand and just ran for the horizon, peril or none. He made her feel special, wanted and cherished. Surely that was everything she was supposed to look for in a relationship? Maybe she should be content with that? After all, no matter how they viewed each other, they had always been there for each other since the day they met.

And at that moment, Rose knew what Sarah-Jane Smith had meant:

"Do I stay with him?"

"_Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for."_

Rose knew she would never know another man like him. And no matter how he saw her, whether as a blundering ape, a travelling companion, or something else, she would always love him. That was the truth, and to some extent, the tragedy.

She took a deep breath, and stood up. Leaving her frothing drink untouched, she made her way back to the TARDIS, dread, fear and some sort of contentment causing turmoil in her stomach. _Home._

--

The Doctor looked down at the item in his hands. He was sure she knew. Even though he'd messed it up _again_, she knew. She had to. All the little things about her that drove him crazy, all the things she did that made his jaw drop or his hearts swell with pride, every laugh, every tear, everything they had seen together…

Determined, he put the item down on her pillow, and left her room.

--

Rose finally got back up to the TARDIS. She opened the door sheepishly, and found the Doctor was not there. Partially relieved, partially disappointed, she started wandering the corridors for any sign of him. She found none. But she did find her bedroom door several times. Guessing that the TARDIS had an agenda of her own, Rose headed inside, and went to flop down on her bed. That was when she noticed it. The piece of paper, placed on her pillow. She picked it up and scanned it with interest. And what she saw made her heart surge.

It was a piece of music, handwritten in pencil, and obviously erased and redone several times, no doubt to make it just right – he always had been a perfectionist. But this one had lyrics. She could not read them: they were in Galifreyan, and the Doctor must have convinced the TARDIS not to translate them. But it was the title that made tears well up in her eyes. Written carefully across the top, and obviously never been altered, the title read:

'My Rose, My Love.'

Rose gazed at the paper for several minutes, before carefully placing it in a drawer in her bedside table and trying to regain her composure. She smiled to herself. _Why did I ever doubt him?_

--

Rose entered the control room, and this time the Doctor was at the controls. He smiled at her when he saw her, but his eyes held more meaning than the smile ever could.

"Everything alright?" he asked gently.

"Yeah," she replied shakily as she joined him at the console. "Everything's just fine."

The Doctor sighed in silent relief, and pulled a lever. The TARDIS whirred, and the two time travellers looked up at the time rotor working it's magic.

The Doctor replayed her words from a few days ago over in his head:

"_I just didn't know. But I do now."_

He smiled to himself, and, just for a moment, the struggles of the universe lifted from his shoulders.

He knew she knew.

--

I hope you've enjoyed reading this story. It was my first one, and I've really come to love it. I want to say a great big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to review, and thanks to everyone for reading. And I know it's a little thing but I did spell Pudsey wrong, and it's been bugging me, too. If you've got any last thoughts, I'd love to hear them: feel free to review or send me a message. My next story will be about a certain marble statue: please look out for it.

_G'night, all xx_


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